Had you been visiting the Prince's Dock in Liverpool in the late 1920's then your attention might have been attracted, had your visit included a look inside the pump house, by the sight of an ancient locomotive, jacked up on blocks, its driving wheels rattling merrily away driving a strange pump. The chain-pump resembled an endless rope ladder, moving around a pulley above ground and another at water level, the steps of the ladder being worn flat; its efficiency must have been almost nil.

Thanks to the efforts of a number of enthusiasts, the engine, originally the Liverpool & Manchester Railway's Lion, was preserved and is the arguably oldest working locomotives in the world. It entered service in 1838 - only nine years after the success of Rocket at the Rainhill Trials had convinced the L&MR directors that they should use steam locomotives on their new railway rather than stationary engines with rope haulage - and was the first engine to be built by the firm of Todd, Kitson & Laird of Leeds, which later became known simply as Kitsons. Lion was an 0-4-2 luggage or goods engine. Rocket, which had the 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, and the Planet type 2-2-2 engines which followed it, were 'coaching' engines; that is, they were intended to haul passenger trains.

In 1845 the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway, which itself became part of the London & North Western Railway in the following year. Lion continued in service under both companies but in 1857 it ceased to be used for goods trains and probably became a 'ballast' engine, used only for hauling track-maintenance trains.

In May 1859 it was sold to the Mersey Docks for £400, along with some other old engines which were used to drive pumps. Shortly after it was 'discovered' some seventy years later, Lion was replaced by an electric pump and in September 1928 it was taken out of the pump house. The Liverpool Engineering Society formed the 'Old Locomotive Committee' to try to preserve the engine and eventually in March 1929 the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board presented it to the society. It was sent to the Crewe Works of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, the successor to the London & North Western Railway, where it was overhauled, restored to its original condition and put back into working order.

In 1930 it took part in the first of many events as a working historic locomotive, hauling a train of replica carriages at the Liverpool & Manchester Railway centenary celebrations at Wavertree near Liverpool. It was then put on display at Lime Street station, Liverpool, where it stayed until the outbreak of the Second World War, when it returned to Crewe for safe keeping. Another event in which Lion took part was the London & Birmingham centenary celebrations at Euston station, London, in 1938. It ran to and from Camden engine shed, about a mile from Euston station, under its own steam, and on one occasion was driven by Colonel E Kitson Clark, grandson of one of the founders of the firm that built it.

Since that time, it has appeared at several similar events, including the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway at Rainhill in 1980. As a working historic engine, it has also featured in several films. The first was 'Victoria the Great' in 1937, and then came 'Lady with the Lamp' in 1951 and finally The Titfield Thunderbolt in 1952, in which Lion was the 'star'. The film was made on the branch from Limpley Stoke to Camerton near Bath, and during filming Lion steamed some 1500 miles hauling a load of 60 tons. Nevertheless, according to the director, it 'went magnificently' and managed the 1 in 100 gradient well; "she moved like a Rolls Royce, very sweetly and gently, yet with a feeling of inevitable power".

Although it will doubtless appear in many more events, it belongs to The National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and was displayed with the museum's transport collection at the Central Museum in Liverpool. However, due to redevelopment of this museum, Lion is presently displayed at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and is likely to be exhibited there for the foreseeable future. Of the original engine of 1838 many parts still survive in Lion today. The boiler is thought to be a replacement fitted in about 1845. When examined at Crewe in 1929, it was found to be in good condition and only a few tubes needed to be replaced. Some new parts had to be made at that time to replace those which were missing, such as the chimney. They were produced on advice from the firm of Robert Stephenson, the tender being made from drawings of one supplied by that firm to the Furness Railway at about the same time as Lion was built. The polished metal cover over the firebox was also added at that time, though it is not thought to have been fitted originally.

Aster has chosen to model this historic engine in the colour scheme in which it ran during the film The Titfield Thunderbolt; and in green with black lining as it is now preserved, the colours of the Grand Junction Railway and the Northern Division of the London & North Western Railway

The model has been designed to be suitable for beginners to the fascinating hobby of steam model locomotives and yet also to appeal to experienced modellers. Aster hope it will give pleasure to them all, as Lion itself has done to the many people who have seen it in action since it was 'discovered' and preserved over seventy years ago.

Copyright Aster Hobby Co. Inc

On the Trail of The Titfield Thunderbolt is a new book about the making of the famous film. Copies may be obtained from us at Aster Hobbies.